Oh, To Be A Cat
by AnimeFanGirl2223
Summary: Shigaraki is back at it and thinks his new ally killed Izuku. However, the villain merely used his quirk to turn Midoriya into a kitten. Alone, and with no memories from before the attack, he wanders around until a particular brainwashing teen who loves cats decides to take care of him. Will he ever remember who he was and be human again? ShinsoDeku; Angsty-Fluff :)
1. Chapter 1

**So, I'm fully aware that if I changed 'Shinso' to 'Shoto', this story would probably get a lot more attention. But you know what? I don't care! The purple haired brainwasher needs some love too!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia. Obviously. If I did Mineta would have already been kicked out of the Hero Course in exchange for Shinso!**

 ***** Bold print is when Izuku is talking, but it comes out as meows to people.**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 1

Midoriya was walking down the streets, caught up in his own thoughts. He'd finally finished moving into the dorms at UA, excited to begin another semester as so much calamity had befallen their first year. It was hard for him to believe that he and his friends had changed so much.

It was because of this distraction, that he didn't notice two lurking figures behind him. One, was Shigaraki, the other, an unknown, his face hidden behind his mask.

"Are you sure you can really get him with your quirk? This little brat is fast; he's one of All Might's disciples…" Tomura questioned, his eyes narrowing at the other hooded man.

"Of course, I can… He won't know what hit him…"

"Fine. If you can take him down then you'll get to be part of my Vanguard Action Squad. We've been needing a new member…." Shigaraki chimed, his insanity starting to peak through his bloodshot eyes.

The man nodded and walked a little faster, taking advantage of Midoriya's lack of observation to knock him into the nearest alley, flinging his arm with a twitch of his fingers. Izuku let out a silent scream and felt the whole world go dark around him.

Within minutes, the One For All user's attacker was back at Tomura's side, handing him the boys clothing and wallet, all the items covered in blood.

Shigaraki laughed maniacally, the cloth shaking in his gloved hands. This was everything he had wanted since that brat had first dared to interfere with his plans. "You're in." he giggled creepily, gesturing for the man to follow. "We just need to send this to his mother, All Might, and that stupid school, UA. I wonder how they'll react when they find their up and coming Symbol of Peace dead."

The man nodded again but didn't say anything. Despite being a villain, killing really wasn't his thing…

* * *

Izuku woke with a terrible headache, but he couldn't remember anything… about anything. He tried to stand, only to collapse, his face hitting the ground as his arms gave out. So instead, he sat back, and looked down at his… paws… at least he assumed that was right.

" _What happened?"_ he thought, confused about what he was doing in this dark alley, cold, hungry and the stench of his own blood filling his nose.

He used his paw to rub his face, becoming irritated when whiskers tickled his cheeks and his ears twitched. Determined, he got on all fours again, and wobbled out onto the sidewalk, his movements uncoordinated, like he'd never had to do such a thing before.

"Hey there little one… Is everything okay?" a voice asked.

Midoriya huffed, the sound coming out like a hiss instead. Stomping his back paw angrily, he replied: **"No I'm not okay! I'm having trouble walking, I'm covered in blood and don't know where it came from, and I just woke up in an alley without any real memories about how I got there and who I am."**

The one who'd asked chuckled lightly, making Izuku even more irritated. What part of his little rant had possibly been funny?

"It's okay, I can see you're hurt. If you'll let me, I'll take you home and get you all cleaned up and fed." He responded to the loud meowing, kneeling before the injured kitten and holding out his hand.

Izuku wasn't sure what to make of him. He was tall, with purple hair, and it looked like he hadn't slept in days, but he found the teen incredibly handsome. In fact, even though he couldn't quite place it, the boy seemed oddly familiar. So, not knowing what else to do, and feeling strangely comforted by his presence, Midoriya hesitantly approached the hand and allowed the teen to pick him up.

"I'm going to need to put you in my jacket ok? We aren't allowed to have cats in the dorm rooms."

Kitten Midoriya groaned in annoyance but didn't struggle much as he was slipped beneath the boy's hoodie, finding that it smelled surprisingly nice inside. The teen was warm, and Izuku couldn't help but let out a quiet mewl of contentment.

After several minutes, he heard the jacket unzipping again and was maneuvered out so that he could be set down. Immediately, Izuku began speaking again, determined to get to the bottom of what had happened. He hoped that maybe the boy would help him if he asked nicely.

" **Okay, so I don't know what lead to me being left for dead in an alley, but I think I must have been attacked. I'll just go ahead and tell you, I have no idea who I am, but you referred to me as a cat, so I guess that at least answers one of my questions. Now, do you have any idea-"**

"Woah there, little guy. You're a talkative one, aren't you? I don't really mind, but if you don't stop meowing so loudly someone is going to hear you… I'll fix us some food while you look around and make yourself more acquainted with your new home…" the boy answered, giving him a small smile.

Izuku was beyond irritated now. Clearly, he heard him, but it was like he didn't understand what he was trying to say. _"Oh…"_ he thought sadly, understanding that his words didn't compute with his 'savior'. He lay down and began crying, his ears lying flat to his skull as he realized he might never find out who he was before waking up in the alley.

The teen was beside him again, picking him back up and placing him on a desk, petting his matted fir softly. The sensation was extremely comforting, and Izuku leaned into the touch, gazing up with tear filled eyes.

"It's okay, I know you're scared. I don't know what happened, but people can be cruel, especially to defenseless animals. I'll take care of you now… Don't worry…"

* * *

Izuku sighed heavily, enjoying the warmth that surrounded him. As it turned out, the boy didn't have any cat food, so he'd gotten a healthy dose of sushi to fill his growling tummy and was now in the process of getting a bath in the familiar strangers sink.

"You know, most cats hate it when I try to bath them at the shelter. Sometimes I think they are trying to tell me, 'Shinso, leave us alone or play with us, but stop trying clean us!'. It's a nice change to have one so content in water."

" _Shinso…. That must be his name. It sounds familiar too… But he doesn't seem to recognize me, so it has to just be my imagination. Maybe I remember someone like him… yeah… that's probably it…"_ Midoriya thought, letting out another contented mewl.

After he was clean and towel dried, he was let loose to go explore again. But, he decided he could do that another time. Instead, he chose to settle himself on Shinso's lap, secretly hoping the boy would pet him again, and maybe give a few more details about himself.

Midoriya was feeling much better, but he still couldn't help but feel sad about having lost so much of his own history. Hearing the boy's voice calmed him and took his mind off of everything else.

"I wish you could talk… I get really lonely sometimes, but I'm not very good with people. You're still a kitten but not a baby so you probably have a name… oh well… I guess I'll need to think of something to call you then…"

Midoriya looked up and tilted his head, the action making Shinso smile fondly and scratch him behind his ears, mumbling about how his fur, eyes, and behavior oddly reminded him of someone. That perked Izuku's interest even more. Maybe he knew the last person that had taken care of him.

'Knock, Knock'

"Shinso… are you in there? All students have been summoned to the cafeteria for an announcement." A voice stated.

The knock at the door prevented Izuku from trying to elicit further information, as Shinso rolled his eyes and got up, telling him to be quiet while he was gone. Izuku did as he was told, worry starting to fill him despite how calm his new friend looked as he left.

* * *

When Izuku heard movement from somewhere outside the door, he recognized sniffles and the light sound of crying from more than one person, his stomach sinking in worry. Shinso came back in, his own eyes red-rimmed and filled with pain. Midoriya watched the boy fall back on the pillows of his bed, covering his face with his hands as he tried to control his sobs.

Not knowing what else to do, Midoriya jumped up on the bed and lightly stepped onto the teen's lap, his little front paws braced against the firm chest. **"What's wrong, Shinso?"**

The boy smiled sadly and ran his hand down Izuku's back. "I guess it's true that animals know when humans are upset… Since I don't have anyone else to tell, and I know you won't say anything, I have something to confess…"

Midoriya tilted his head and but waited patiently for the boy to spill whatever dark secret he was hiding.

"There was this boy I fought in the UA Sports Festival. He was small and timid, but he refused to give up. He wasn't afraid to speak to me despite the nature of my quirk, and he even asked me to hang out a few times after the festival was over… I… I fell pretty hard for him… but I'm so plain and boring compared to who he usually hangs out with that I always rebuffed his offers to spend time together… and n-now…"

Izuku felt his own heart clench when the voice broke into a depressed sob, tears pouring from the boys tired eyes as guilt consumed his face. Midoriya reached his paw up and lightly tapped at the water streaming down his pale cheeks, not knowing what else to do to soothe his hurting friend. **"What happened to him? Was that why you were called out to the meeting?"**

Shinso's head fell back some, gazing up at the ceiling of his room like he hated it. "And now… they just told us he's been killed… And I… I'll never get to tell him I'm sorry for refusing his offers… I wish I could take it back…"

" **I'm so sorry… That's terrible… For the record, I don't even know you but I think he probably felt the same way. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met, so I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be so upset over him…"** Izuku mewled, rubbing his head against Shinso's cheek lovingly.

The boy let out another sad laugh, holding him tightly, but with such gentleness at the same time. "You really do remind me of him. It's settled, to honor my friend… the boy I loved so much… I'll call you by his hero name so I never forget… From now on, you're Deku…"

" _Deku… Why is that familiar too? Did I belong to him first? No… Shinso would have known me if that was the case. Maybe the last person to take care of me talked about this boy too… I don't know if my little paws can fill his shoes, but at least I can try. Deku it is!"_

Izuku felt happy and determined once he settled on doing his best to embody this 'Deku' person Shinso was so in love with. He yelped a little though when an odd vibration came from his throat, making the sound again to see what it was.

"You like that, do you? I'm glad." Shinso sniffled, kicking off his shoes to curl up with the purring kitten. "Let's try to get some sleep…"

Midoriya purred again and snuggled deep into his caretaker's arms, curling into a ball of fluff as the sun began to set, shrouding the room in darkness.

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 **What did you all think so far? Good, bad, alright? I'm thinking next chapter will be more Shinso-centric, as he tries to come to grips with losing Midoriya and shit like that…**

 **Tell me your thoughts! Follow/Review/Favorite please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay… I'm going to keep trying on this story! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia!**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 2

Shinso left his new pet back in his dorm room and headed down to the cafeteria for lunch. It was a cold day, with cloudy skies that threatened a sad, dreary rain. Fitting, he thought, since the sunshine boy of the campus was gone.

Everyone was sitting around, their eyes downcast and gloomy even if they hadn't directly known Izuku. While he didn't wish suffering on them, it brought the purple haired boy some comfort knowing that everyone felt the same loss.

When he entered the large space, he could smell Lunch Rush cooking away, despite the fact that most of the students were only picking at their food. "One bowl of katsudon, and a side of salmon sushi please…" he muttered.

"A lot of students have ordered the katsudon today, must be something in the air!" Lunch rush explained, trying to lighten the mood. He knew that was Midoriya's favorite dish, the boy having ordered it almost every day.

Shinso nodded and took his food, glancing around for somewhere to sit. He was going to try and eat alone but saw the familiar faces of Class 1-A, all grouped together around a cluster of tables. The sight made his stomach twist. He'd always assumed that Izuku would be happier hanging out with his rag-tag classmates rather than him, so he'd avoided their company.

Now, it seemed like only the right thing to do to give them a try and express his sadness at their mutual friends untimely passing. If only he knew that the very boy they were all mourning over was curled up on his pillow at that very moment.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked, shuffling his feet nervously.

Iida nodded to him solemnly and gestured to an open chair. "It's good that you came over. Midoriya was always talking about you. He seemed to think that you'd be a great hero someday and wished for us all to be friends."

It took all of Shinso's strength not to clutch his heart and start sobbing right there. But he sniffed in roughly and sat down, his hands shaking on the bowl of his food. It seemed everyone at the table had ordered the same thing.

It was also evident that every single one of the students had been crying, even Bakugo's usually sharp eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, but his scowl remained in place, desperately trying to hold back the anguish that was obviously there.

The silence around them was deafening, and it made Shinso uncomfortable, despite how much he was used to it. He cleared his throat, urging himself to step up and break the solemn mood. "I found a kitten…" he muttered, receiving confused looks from his tablemates.

Ochaco rubbed the moistness from her eyes and gave the best smile she could, nodding to him. "That's right! De…. Deku…. He said you were quite fond of cats…."

"If you all would like to see it, I'd be happy to sneak it to the common room later tonight. It's very friendly…" Shinso offered, not knowing why he was exposing his stowaway so suddenly.

"What? You fucking kept it?" Bakugo grunted, "you're just as soft as shitty Deku is… was."

Kirishima gave everyone a look when they all appeared horrified by Katsuki's outburst, and they backed off. It was clear that he cared, even if it took the form of foul-mouthed insults.

"I did…" Shinso answered, playing with his food some.

"What's its name?" Momo asked, doing her best to keep the half-hearted conversation going.

"Deku…"

The students went even more silent than before, staring at him as if he'd grown two heads. But he was proud of the name and let them know that. He wouldn't push his crush to the back of his mind, pretending that he wasn't thinking about him. Every time he or any of them looked at the sweet kitten he'd saved, he hoped that they'd find comfort in the memory just like he did.

* * *

All of the teachers sat around their meeting table, looking just as glum as their students did. None, however, looked more defeated than All Might, his fragile, thin form looking worse than it ever had.

"I've spoken with the police and the pro heroes that had been assigned to Izuku Midoriya's case. As you know, no body was recovered, but his clothes were sent to the school, All Might, and the boy's mother. The unfortunate truth is, we have no idea how he was killed, and therefore our students are in grave danger once again." Nezu spoke; his words like daggers in the teacher's hearts.

"Has anything been discovered at all? We have no body, no quirk residue, and no DNA other than that of Midoriya's. The police were able to track down the spot where he'd been attacked, and it was only a couple blocks from campus. How is that even possible?" Midnight questioned, voicing the obvious.

"As always, the League of Villains seems to be one step ahead of us, even after All Might defeated All For One. However, it's not as if Midoriya was weak or untrained. With a loud, explosive quirk like his, there should have been at least some sign of a struggle." Aizawa droned. He narrowed his eyes in thought. It just didn't make sense.

"Yo, Eraserhead. That might not matter depending on the villain's quirk. Stain could immobilize his victims so they couldn't fight back, so can Midnight and-"

"That's not what I mean" Aizawa interrupted. "During the sports festival, Midoriya proved that he could use his quirks power to get him out of situations that were beyond most people. Besides that, I was talking specifically about his clothes."

"His clothes? Please explain." Nezu commented.

Aizawa nodded and directed their attention to the pictures Detective Tsukauchi had provided them. "Look at these. There isn't a single speck that isn't stained, but there are no cuts to the fabric, and every area has an equal amount of blood. This means that he didn't receive a huge gash anywhere. Now, obviously there is enough blood for it to have greatly weakened and potentially killed him, but it wasn't as if the cloth was soaked through completely either. This means we can assume that it wasn't used to soak up the blood after being removed from him."

"So, what are you suggesting, Aizawa?" All Might asked, his eyes barely holding a hope of what he wanted to hear.

"I'm suggesting that whoever attacked Midoriya used a quirk designed to weaken an opponent. As Midnight pointed out. There's no physical evidence of an aggressive fight, or in my opinion, any proof that Midoriya did indeed bleed out. So, I think it's not too far off to think that whoever we are dealing with took him and used his bloody clothes to make us think he had died."

Everyone looked around at each other, weighing the truth of Aizawa's words. His version of what went down seemed more plausible the longer they thought about it. Nezu was the first to come to a decision. "I know this is irregular, but I'd like to utilize you all and our students to do our own investigation. Perhaps we can discover something that was missed."

* * *

Shinso returned to his room and placed the fresh salmon out for 'Deku' to eat, smiling softly when the kitten stretched its little body happily and trotted over. The first thing Midoriya did, however, before even looking at his tasty treats, was marched straight up to his caretaker and rubbed himself all over him.

Izuku could see the fresh puffiness in his eyes and could practically feel the sadness radiating off of him. So, he looked up with his big green orbs and meowed loudly. **"Don't cry Shinso! It's going to be okay! We can play together and have fun and-"**

"I'm going to take you to the common room in a little bit, I hope you aren't shy around other people. Some students would like to meet you… maybe you can give them comfort like you've been giving me…" Shinso stated, petting the loudmouthed kitten until it settled down and ate.

After a couple hours of barely reading a textbook, and Midoriya zooming around the room with newfound energy, it was time to head out. He happily snuggled into Shinso's stomach again and purred quietly, rubbing his head against the muscles.

He could hear people talking around him, his heart beating a little faster at their familiar voices, and the scent of the room too. Had he been here before? Izuku didn't have time to wonder long though, because soon he was being set down on the floor and given an expectant look by the purple haired teen.

Hesitantly, he glances around, the faces cooing at him made his head a little dizzy, flashes of broken memories coming back to him in pieces. He shook his head and stomped forward, remembering the reason Shinso had even brought him out.

He walked straight up to the boy with blonde hair and fierce eyes, determining him to be the most shaken by this 'Deku's' loss. "What the hell, you brainwashing bastard. This cat has a death wish or something. Good job naming him fucking Deku; it fits him perfectly."

Izuku flinched some at the tone, but then realized he found it oddly endearing as well. **"Don't you yell at Shinso, you big meanie!"**

After giving him a brief brush up, he moved on to another small group. _"Todoroki… Ochaco… Iida… Wait! And that one's Kacchan! How do I know that? Damn… I recognize them, and I'm even pretty sure those are their names, but how? Why is this so hard?"_ he thought frantically, pawing at their faces to try and force himself to remember.

"He's quite friendly, Shinso" Momo stated, holding out her hand for the kitten to sniff. "Bakugo was right... He's just like Midoriya."

" **Midoriya! That's it! That's my name… I'm Izuku Midoriya and I was a student here. I remember now! What the hell happened to me and why am I a cat? Oh no, they all think that I'm dead. What the hell am I going to do?!"** He cried, his loud meows making everyone chuckle since they didn't understand him.

He ran back to Shinso, next, and lightly tugged on his fingers with his teeth. Hoping the teen would realize that it was the same two that he'd broken on his own hand while fighting him during the Sports Festival. But it was obvious after a few minutes that everyone thought he was playing.

"Where did you find him?" Ochaco asked, holding out her arms and smiling happily when 'Deku' ran back over to her and whined loudly into her lap.

"Actually, it wasn't too far from here. He was covered in blood and stumbling around on the sidewalk so, I figured he'd need a good home." Shinso responded, looking fondly at the distressed cat. To him and everyone else, the fluffball just seemed excitable.

* * *

By the time they got back to Shinso's room, Midoriya was just about at his wits end from trying to do to anything and everything that might signal that he was in fact, a human trapped in a kitten's body. But he was so exhausted that he couldn't do too much else.

"Alright, Deku, great job out there tonight. You really lived up to your namesake." Shinso stated, setting the cat down on his bed

The purple haired boy pet his head again and checked the time. They'd had the day off from classes to mourn, but tomorrow they'd start up again, bright and early. He figured he should probably try to sleep soon.

Shinso was an insomniac, an unfortunate side effect of near-constant nightmares stemming from his worry that he'd always be thought of as someone who'd be better off as a villain. Last night, despite the fresh loss of his crush, he'd slept better having his kitten beside him.

"What do you say Deku… we should probably turn in for the night." He mumbled.

Midoriya stopped thinking about how to get everyone to realize that it was him to look up at Shinso, immediately letting out a startled yelp and tumbling from the bed when he came pretty much face to face with the teen's naked body.

Shinso laughed and slipped on a pair of sweatpants, the rim hanging seductively below his pelvic bones. He kneeled to where 'Deku' was still somewhat hyperventilating on the ground and picked him up, not realizing that his prior nudity and the clumsy fall were connected.

If Midoriya could blush right then, his face would be scarlet. He was pressed flush against the boy's well-toned chest and could feel his steady heartbeat. Shinso kissed the top of his fluffy head gently and held him close as they got under the covers. Midoriya kept side glancing at the sensation, watching the boy chuckle again.

His smile fell some though, into what appeared to be a sad, thoughtful expression. "You know, I found you not long before the school told us Midoriya had been killed. Maybe this was that idiot's way of making sure I was okay even in the afterlife. Sending me a kitten that reminds me so much of him…"

Midoriya felt his ears and tail fall, sadness overtaking him as well. He didn't want people to suffer like this because of him; because he hadn't been vigilant enough and was successfully ambushed. He hadn't spent long with Shinso, but he probably felt the worst about 'leaving him behind'.

His other classmates had each other, All Might had the teachers and his master, even his mother had Bakugo's family to lean on. But Shinso was alone and he wondered if the boy would have even made an effort to spend time with someone else if he hadn't been there in his little kitten form.

" _He said that he'd fallen for me… and I didn't even notice…"_ Midoriya thought sadly, turning his eyes back up to the teens closed lids. **"Shinso! If I never get another chance I want you to know that I liked you too! I was so nervous you didn't feel the same way since you rarely agreed to hang out, but now I see you were just scared too. I'm so sorry!"**

Shinso curled around the little kitten and let a few more tears slip out of his eyes when he felt it nuzzling the underside of his chin. _"Thank you so much for this gift… Midoriya…"_

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 **Bleh… super mushy feelings lol but, oh well, I'm in a sad fluffy mood I suppose!**

 **Tell me what you think!** **Follow/Favorite/Review**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay… I'm just going to come out and say it… I have no Earthly idea where I'm taking this story. Usually, when I have an idea it's like the first half of a story and then something comes to me from there… but this is… writer's block hell… so, be prepared for shit plot!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 3

Midoriya woke up to the sound of Shinso's alarm, irritated that it had pulled him from his entirely too comfortable sleep. He was still surrounded by the brainwasher's limbs, tucked up under his chin with gentle, warm breath tingling over his head.

The next ring woke him up too, unfortunately, and that protective comfort moved away from him to turn off the offending beeping. Midoriya yawned loudly, and pawed his face to wake up, determined to get himself noticed for real today.

"I'll be right back okay? I'm going to shower…" Shinso stated, giving the little kitten a quick pat on the head.

Midoriya, in turn, did a few laps around the room during his free time and concentrated hard on activating One For All, but no red streaks appeared under his fur, or green lightning flickered around him. He was just a simple cat, and quirkless.

That fact probably irritated him more than anything. He'd finally gotten his dream power, dream teacher, almost his dream profession and now he felt useless… and he was a kitten, so, double shit luck. The only thing that made him not despair about the situation, however, was getting to spend so much time with Shinso.

He wondered how the boy would react if he ever found out the truth. Probably excitement at first, and then an intense embarrassment for not only confessing his feelings but also just about giving Midoriya a nose bleed every time he stripped down.

"I'm back, Deku…"

Midoriya stretched again and looked around, yelping in embarrassment as he hid his head under the pillow like a little ostrich when Shinso unabashedly slipped out of his towel. Shinso didn't seem to notice his odd behavior, probably since he was rubbing the water out of his hair.

After a few minutes, and a bunch of clothes rustling, Midoriya finally deemed it PG enough to dare a peek outside of the darkness of his hiding spot, breathing a sigh of relief and also disappointment. _"No! I can't be upset I didn't get to watch! This is so wrong! Shinso doesn't even know it's me so it's like I'm creeping on him or something. Darn… no, this calls for something more… Damn! That's right! Damn it!"_

"You didn't finish your food from last night so, I'll put it back out for you. I probably won't be able to come by until after class. Behave my little Deku…" Shinso explained as he picked up his backpack.

Midoriya swooned. _"My little Deku… NO FOCUS!"_ Once the door closed he set to work on how to escape. Unfortunately for Shinso, he actually was the real Midoriya and had no intention of sitting back and hoping something worked out; he was going to misbehave to the extreme.

* * *

After nearly an hour of jumping at the handle, Midoriya felt just as beat up as his first night of trying to use One For All to climb up the side of Gran Torino's building. But he stomped back to the opposite side of the room again, recalculating the angle and took off in a little sprint.

This time, when he leaped off the edge of the Shinso's bookcase, he wrapped his little fluffy body around the circular knob and squeezed as tightly as he could, the silver handle turning just a touch more than before and cracking the door open.

" **FINALLY!"**

Midoriya used his nose and paw to push the heavy wood, squeezing his body through before bolting in the direction of the stairs. Of course, this turned into a nightmare as well, ending with him tumbling down in a heap of embarrassment. He couldn't believe animals walked down these death traps on all fours almost every day.

Shaking the dull ache and amazement from his bones, he kept going, grateful that the rest of the doors were either propped open with stoppers or automatic. It would have been hell if he'd had to do his trapeze act again; he was sure his hips were already bruised from the repeated impact.

A few people stopped to watch as he darted across the open campus, but he paid them no mind. He had to get to Class 1-A, maybe if Eraserhead used his quirk it would nullify the transformation, or at least he could try to bring them back to the alleyway once he convinced them of his true self.

Izuku skidded to a stop in front of the overly large door and hissed, irritation flooding him as he saw yet another closed obstacle in front of him. There was no way he'd get it open, of that he was sure. But, he couldn't just wait for class to end; with his small form and cute appearance, someone would likely pick him up and take him back to their room, or worse, a pound. So, he stalked away and then turned menacingly towards the door again, crouching down with the same look in his eye as when he was prepared to break bones to defeat a villain.

" **SSSMMMAAAASH"** he cried, charging forward with as much force as he could put into his little legs. On the other side of the door, there was a very weak thud.

Eraserhead looked over suspiciously, motioning for the students to be quiet as he stepped over, his quirk already active in case of an attack. He pulled the door back slightly, seeing no one in his direct line of sight. A weak, dazed mewl caught his attention, however, and he looked down with a 'What the fuck?' thought running through his mind.

Sure enough, there was a small, green kitten sprawled on it's back, eyes rolling around from the apparent impact of slamming into the door.

"Uhhh…"

Aizawa leaned over and picked him up carefully, turning around to show the students. "Does this creature belong to someone?" he asked, giving them his best teacher's glare.

Try as he might, Iida was the first to crack under the gaze, unable to keep himself from breaking school rules. "It's Shinso's…" he choked out, sweating and fisting his hands like he'd been tortured for the information.

Upon hearing the name, however, the half-unconscious kitten snapped back to reality, jumping from Aizawa's loose grip and darting forward. His actions, of course, caused an uproar from the students, who thought it was all too funny that little stowaway Deku was creating such a disturbance.

Until he jumped into Midoriya's seat, then everyone fell silent again.

" **It's me! Damn it! I'm trapped in this stupid form! Please, Mr. Aizawa, use your quirk on me! Do something! Anything! PLEASE!"**

After throwing his head back to meow as loudly as his kitten lungs could bear, he turned straight to Aizawa and stared into his eyes, hopping up onto the desk and stepping around nervously.

"You said that this is Shinso's cat? The student from General Studies?" Aizawa asked, his voice almost inaudible.

Iida nodded, unable to even get a sound past his lips. He and everyone else were stunned into silence by what appeared to be a very cruel joke or the actual possibility that the cat knew Deku… or was him.

"Iida, go get him right now," Aizawa ordered, his voice more firm this time. It didn't take long for the class rep to fly out the door, heading straight for Shinso. "Everyone, get on the opposite side of the classroom, immediately. Even if this is Midoriya, we don't know the extent of the quirk, he could become dangerous or even infect you all as well."

Izuku's tail bristled, he hadn't even considered that. Bakugo was the last to move away, making disbelieving eye contact before finally getting pulled by Aizawa's scarfs. **"I'm so sorry guys! I didn't realize I could be a threat! I'm-"**

"Why are you making me come to Class 1-A? What's this about Iida?" Shinso's voice echoed through the door. He got his answer soon though because the very first thing he saw was 'Deku' staring back at him from his desk.

Aizawa didn't waste any time, grilling him on his stowaway. "Where did you find it? When did you find it? Do you have the ability to put cats under your quirk to brainwash them into acting like a person? What was his condition upon recovery?"

Shinso fumbled over his words, looking panicked as his head swiveled between the kitten and the extremely serious teacher. "Uh… In an alley a few blocks from campus. The day before the announcement of Midoriya's death…. I… No… I can't. I don't have that ability… it has to be a real person… he was… he was covered in blood…. It was everywhere, I almost thought he was red when I first picked him up… maybe a head wound? He was wobbling around…"

Aizawa's eyes narrowed father and farther as Shinso answered his barrage. When the information dump was over, he looked to Iida again. "Go get all the teachers. Now. Tell them Hitoshi Shinso found Midoriya."

There were resounding gasps from the hallway, the air thick with hope and tension to the point of almost suffocating Shinso. He stared at the kitten again, his mouth hanging slightly open. Hesitantly, he stepped towards the desk, but that only made Midoriya back away, meowing loudly in distress. **"Shinso, no! Aizawa is worried I could infect you or lose my mind and attack with my claws or something, I don't know! Please, stay back!"**

Shinso did indeed stop moving, his eyes becoming misty. "Why is he acting like that?" he mumbled.

"Because I had the entire class leave in case there was more to the quirk than just turning Midoriya into an animal. For all we know, it could be like a virus or a time-delayed aggression. It's safer if we all just keep our distance for now." Aizawa explained. "You should also wait in the hall. I'd return you to your class, but we are going to need more information from you."

"That's total bullshit!" Shinso seethed, turning his attention to the teacher. "I've been with him almost nonstop since I found him and nothing has happened to me at all. If there's a chance I'll get infected, it would have already happened. Besides, what is he going to do to hurt me? He's a damn kitten and you're here too."

As if to prove his point, he stomped over and sat in Midoriya's chair, holding out his hand to pet the kitten before stopping short, his cheeks slightly flushing. "Oh, um… sorry… just a habit I guess."

Izuku didn't even bother with meowing. At that moment, he didn't care what state he was in or what could possibly go wrong. Shinso trusted him completely, even if it meant harm to himself and that was more than enough to make his heart swell with love and longing. He simply pushed his head straight into Shinso's fingers and laid down as close to him as he could, allowing the morning's shenanigans to finally catch up with him. He was exhausted.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean you didn't kill him?" Tomura seethed, glaring daggers at the villain who'd just recently joined their ranks.

"Well… I'm not much of one for ending lives. He's a cat though, it's not like he can actually do anything, and he won't remember who he was before my quirk hit him. It's fine boss."

This time, Kurogiri didn't even move to stop his partner when his pale hands reached for the villain, codenamed 'Shapeshift'. He was just as irritated.

"No! Stop! If you kill me, then my quirk will be undone and Izuku will return to his human form!" the man screeched, reeling backward to get away from the dangerous appendages. This was apparently enough to save him for the moment because those deadly fingers stopped just short of his neck.

Shapeshift resisted the urge to swallow, worried that his Adam's apple would rub up against them and end his life.

Tomura growled deeply and stepped back, "we have to find that little brat and destroy him. I won't take anything less than his stupid head disintegrating in my hands, do you hear me?"

Dabi, Toga, and Kurogiri nodded, followed swiftly by Shapeshift as well.

They set about making a plan to find the elusive and unusually lucky brat, hoping that they'd be the first to realize who he was before anyone else. If they had to bust in the walls of UA itself they would. All Might was out of commission, so if Midoriya was killed, there wouldn't be anymore One For All users to stop their expansion.

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 **Lol, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I thought it was cute at least! Please tell me what you thought!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay… Still not sure where this story is going to head next. Maybe it will come to me as I struggle through this chapter?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia.**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 4

Shinso absentmindedly pet at Midoriya's head while they waited for the teachers to arrive. He couldn't believe that he'd actually found the presumed dead teen. Looking back, he was able to identify the signs that kitten 'Deku' had been trying to tell him and he felt ashamed for not picking up on them.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize what you were trying to say…" he mumbled, averting his gaze in guilt.

Midoriya opened his sleepy eyes and lifted his head, nuzzling the boy's hand softly with his nose. No one had realized what had happened; it wasn't anyone's fault that he was a cat except for whoever had attacked him, and maybe himself for not being vigilant enough.

Right as he was about to start meowing his disagreement, there was commotion coming from outside of the door. He stood up quickly when All Might's frail form practically crashed through the other teachers to get inside of Class 1-A's room. Midoriya ran in little circles on the desk, excited and nervous about finally getting to the bottom of this quirk.

"Young Midoriya!" All Might exclaimed, dropping to his knees in front of the desk. "Is it really you?"

" **Yes! It's me! I'm so sorry that I made everyone so upset! I didn't mean to worry everyone so much! I swear!"**

All Might turned to Shinso with unshed tears obscuring his incredibly blue eyes, his mouth opening and closing as 'thank you' didn't seem to be enough. The brainwasher just shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about the whole situation; he wasn't used to praise from anyone, especially not his crushes mentor and prior Number 1 Hero.

"We should have Shinso and Midoriya sent to Recovery Girl for a checkup. All Might, I suggest you call your detective friend as well to inform him of this new development. I'll reach out to Mrs. Midoriya and have her come to the school. Aizawa, we spoke about sending the students and teachers to the alleyway for reconnaissance, perhaps now we can also utilize Koda's quirk as well and see if he has any luck." Nezu spoke, his cheerful voice barely able to contain itself.

"Right…" Aizawa agreed. It was obvious that he wasn't sold on the idea of bringing other students in on the mystery, but at that moment they didn't have too many other options and Shinso seemed fine despite his proximity to Midoriya over the past few days. "Koda, after these two receive an all clear from Recovery Girl I want you to see if you can understand Midoriya in this… animal form."

The usually silent boy nodded quickly, his chest puffed out some with pride and confidence. Shinso also stood, moving to pick up Deku before pausing once more; his cheeks flushing lightly. _"I've been sticking him under my shirt… he's seen me get undressed… fuck… I even confessed to how I felt… It's no wonder he kept hiding his head and panicking around me… Gods why?"_

Midoriya finished nuzzling All Might's hand before turning to where Shinso had seemingly frozen by the desk and tilted his head cutely. He stuck out one of his small paws and tapped the boy lightly, gazing up at him with his big green eyes. Maybe it was because he was a kitten, or because of that morning's shenanigans, but he was feeling lazy and didn't want to walk. **"Shinso? If it's not too much trouble, could you carry me?"**

The teen seemed to snap out of his thoughts then, his cheeks only growing more pink. "Uh… Come on Midoriya…" he muttered, moving to walk away. A paw swatted at his hand again, however, and Izuku looked at it expectantly.

" _Why is he so adorable? Couldn't they have made you into something creepy or at least not a fluffy kitten? Damnit…"_ Still, Shinso slipped his hand under 'Deku's' stomach and lifted him up, cradling the small form to his chest as he usually did. He tried to tell himself that this was how he always held animals; that it was safer for them.

But, now that he knew he wasn't holding some random street cat, the positioning seemed almost intimate, like he was cuddling instead of carrying. He tried to take a calming breath but found it unhelpful in the end. He just hoped Midoriya didn't notice how he trembled.

* * *

Recovery girl finished examining the two, her already wrinkled face scrunched in barely contained worry. The rest of the teachers were waiting semi-patiently outside, classes having been canceled once everyone realized the students wouldn't be paying attention to quadratic equations anyway.

"Well, the good news is I don't see any signs of this quirk spreading from Midoriya himself, but I can't rule out aggression at the moment. The problem is how to reverse the effects. We don't know how the quirk was used on Midoriya, its duration, or possible consequences should we tamper with it." She explained.

Aizawa nodded and brought Koda in, his eyes still trained on Izuku just in case something went wrong. If he was completely critical of the situation, the cat could have been anyone pretending to be the missing teen. "See if you can communicate with him."

Koda's squeaky voice bounced around the otherwise silent room, asking if Izuku could understand him.

" **Of course I understand you guys! I thought that much was obvious already! Grr… sorry; being a kitten has really made me moody I think. Sorry, Koda! I didn't mean to snap at you. Okay so here's what happ-"**

Midoriya cut himself off when he saw the look of defeat crossing over the ani-voice users face. He clearly wasn't able to understand him even though he could communicate with other animals; probably another side effect of the quirk he'd been hit with.

Another wave of failure swept through the room, weighing heavily on all of them. Izuku whined loudly and hung his head low, his ears falling flat against his skull. He had no way to write, couldn't verbally explain, and didn't have any idea how to get what limited memory he had of the event across to his teachers.

"It's going to be okay, Midoriya…" Shinso stated, breaking the tense silence that had engulfed everyone. The words, though simple, were filled with a subdued hope. Izuku raised his head back up and looked over to the other hospital bed to gaze at the teen, melting at the small smile that graced his usually deadpanned face.

" **Shinso!"** he cried loudly, scampering across the sheets so he could fling himself at the brainwashing hero. Hitoshi scooped him up and held him close again, sending all of his love through the embrace while Midoriya purred.

Aizawa cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Mrs. Midoriya will be here shortly, but I think it would be wise to keep Izuku here on campus until this is all sorted out. If it wasn't Shigaraki's intent to leave him alive, then the League of Villains will likely come looking to finish the job."

Nezu nodded in agreement, his beady eyes flickering between Deku and Shinso's now worried faces. He already understood where Eraserhead was going with his little comment, but as the boy's teacher, he wanted him to finish meddling. "But where to keep him? His room wouldn't be a great idea, I'm sure one of the other students from Class 1-A would be happy to help though. What do you think, Aizawa?"

The man gave a bored glare at the oversized, genius rat. "He's already been staying with Shinso, and I'm still not sold on how safe he will be in the future. It would be best not to upset him by changing his life even more… If that's alright with you, Hitoshi."

Shinso felt his heart jump again, his face almost burning with the heat that flared there. He dared a glance down at Midoriya, noting that even if kitten form those big green eyes were still as expressive as ever. "Uh… that would be alright with me…"

* * *

Shigaraki brought his newest Vanguard Action Squad together, his aura as manic and dangerous as ever. "Due to a little… slip up… we haven't completely gotten rid of that All Might brat." He explained, glaring daggers as Shapeshift.

"What is your plan, Tomura Shigaraki?" Kurogiri asked, his warp gate already primed to intervene if things got out of hand between his boss and their newest member.

"We're going to attack the school of course! We've already proven that we can take away their security once, so whose to say we can't do it again? Once we sneak onto campus, we'll head straight for the dorms and then unleash hell on those sniveling UA pests!" Tomura answered.

The only person who looked even remotely excited for their plan was Toga, whose mental state was such that crazy seemed like a good time. She clapped her hands excitedly, already gushing about who she'd attack and make bleed.

"This is pointless… The training camp was guarded by a few pros and everyone was scattered without the possibility of calling for help. UA is a fortress, especially after everything between All Might and All For One. You can't really think we'll be able to pull this off?" Dabi commented.

Shigaraki twitched in annoyance but seemed to consider that outcome. "Our intel suggests that Midoriya is already in their walls, and it's only a matter of time before they figure out a way to undo the quirk Shapeshift hit him with. This is our best chance to crush the One For All lineage and assert ourselves back into the villain world."

"Very well, Tomura. I will warp all of you into the dorms and help you escape whether the mission is a success or not. Is it your plan to attack other students as well, or do you simply want them separated from each other as we did with the USJ?" Kurogiri asked.

The unstable leader cackled darkly, thumbing the worn picture he had of Izuku from the sports festival. "I want you all to bathe in their blood! Kill anyone that dares to stand against you. I don't care if they're from the Hero course or not; make them pay for destroying this world."

Toga once again clapped happily and hung on Dabi's arm, the man never breaking his stoicism. Still, he nodded and the rest of the group followed. They hadn't joined Shigaraki to play it safe, and most of them truly believed in Stain's principles; if death or captivity awaited them, then they'd gladly accept it.

* * *

After spending a good hour listening to Inko sob over her kitten morphed child, Shinso was finally given permission to take Izuku down to eat and then back to his room. The walk was almost surreal, following the same path he had when he thought Midoriya was dead, only this time, the teen was cuddled up to his chest once more.

He could feel the little head twitching and whipping around, meowing at fellow students who waved and gushed support. All the attention was making Shinso highly uncomfortable, especially when he caught clips of conversations stating he was a hero for saving the teen. _"I've wanted to be a hero more than anything… But… I didn't even know it was him… I just thought he was a lost cat…"_

Once they entered the cafeteria, all hell broke loose. Class 1-A was on the two of them instantly, making Shinso wish he'd suggested take-out instead. The anxiety from the sudden burst of social interaction swelled in his chest, making it hard for him to calm himself.

Midoriya could feel the teen's heart beating more frantically, however, and immediately he began purring and rubbing his head against Shinso's sternum, nipping at his fingers to get his attention. It worked, and once their eyes met again, he saw those tired purple orbs soften slightly.

" **It's okay! They're always like this so don't worry."**

"I'm going to go and get us some food; I'll just set you down on a table so they can talk to you for a bit and calm down," Shinso responded. He couldn't understand the kitten, but he knew what Midoriya would be saying if he wasn't an animal. Hitoshi shook his head in disbelief, _"Midoriya is still taking care of me and everyone else even though he's been turned into a damn cat… Typical… You're just so perfect…"_

As soon as the brainwasher stepped away, Midoriya was swept up in a tight hug by Uraraka, the two of them quickly being swallowed by Iida's much larger arms. He squeaked, purred and whined, caught between happiness at being hugged by his friends and sadness from causing them such distress in the first place.

The rest of the students crowded around, each taking turns giving Izuku a hug until only Bakugo was left. His red eyes were narrowed angrily, arms crossed, with a scowl on his lips. Kirishima just laughed though and held Midoriya out.

They stared at each other for several seconds before Bakugo's attempt at remaining indifferent and irritated faltered. He snatched Izuku and held him in a vice grip in the crook of his neck, growling deeply. "You're such a stupid fuck you shitty Deku! Do you have any fucking idea how worried these extra's were?"

" **I've missed you too, Kacchan! I'm so sorry I worried you and everyone else so much! I promise I'll make it up to you!"** Midoriya whined. The two had a major rough patch between them for years, but Bakugo had made great strides to be less of an asshole, and deep down, Izuku had always known that he cared.

Shinso cleared his throat and sat down, setting a plate of sushi on the table. "I know you're human, but right now you're technically still a cat so… Katsudon probably wouldn't be good for you right now. Bakugo… I think you're crushing him…"

The blonde snorted and set Deku down with more force than was necessary, his little legs tripping over themselves as he stumbled. Shinso glared slightly but didn't say anything once he noticed that Katsuki's eyes were misty with unshed tears.

* * *

Midoriya fidgeted on Shinso's bed, unsure of what to do with himself while he waited. The teen had agreed to keep taking care of him until they could figure this mess out, and he was grateful, but now that they were alone, he felt more nervous than he ever had.

After several more agonizing minutes, Shinso came back from his shower, this time already dressed in his sweatpants and a t-shirt. He had a small, embarrassed smile on his face, obviously thinking the same thing as Midoriya was.

The two looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes for a few seconds, keeping a healthy distance. Finally, Shinso broke the stalemate, clearing his throat and moving closer to the bed. "If you'd prefer, I'm sure I could bunch up some blankets on my desk…"

Midoriya didn't even consider that an option. He thought he was being selfish but didn't really care; he wanted to sleep next to Hitoshi and feel safe. So, he meowed loudly in disagreement and then walked up to the rim of the covers, snuggling himself under them.

Shinso smiled softly and crawled in as well, his heart beating frantically. It didn't take long for Midoriya to slowly, tentatively, sneak into the crook of his neck, snuggling his fluffy head into the smooth skin before sighing in contentment.

The brainwashing teen closed his eyes. This was by far the happiest he'd been in a long time- maybe ever. _"I guess he isn't upset about what I said his first night here… Does he even remember?"_

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 **Thank you all for so much support! Please let me know how you liked this later chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all for your support of my story!** **Makes me all happy and motivated!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 5

Deku sat patiently on Shinso's bed waiting for him to return from wherever he'd decided to go get them food from that night. Saturday's were odd, as the cafeteria was closed for dinner times and students either had to cook in their dorm kitchens or go out for food.

It had already been a few days since they'd discovered his identity, but there had been no luck on how to reverse the quirk he'd been hit with. Midoriya nuzzled his nose into the soft pillow, breathing in the residual scent of Shinso.

Although it had been a stressful week for himself and everyone who knew him, he couldn't help but feel slightly happy about the whole situation. If this hadn't happened, he may never have known that his feelings for Hitoshi were reciprocated, much less gotten to cuddle with the antisocial teen.

At the same time, ever since they had found out he wasn't some random alley kitten, his time spent with Shinso had been a mixture of bliss and awkwardness. Izuku wasn't really sure how they would broach the subject of their mutual crushes whenever -if ever- he was returned to his human form.

It wasn't as if either student was exactly forward with their romantic interests, and both had the confessional ability of a rock. Even Deku, who wore his heart on his sleeve had too much self-doubt to bring up his crushes secret.

The fact of the matter was, Shinso hid what he was feeling behind a tired, deadpan expression even on the best of days and Midoriya would get too flustered to actually make the first move.

Izuku mewled sadly, his ears falling flat to his skull. Out of the two of them, he was the one that knew they both harbored romantic feelings for each other. It would ultimately be his job to bring up the confession Shinso had let slip his first night there.

The sound of a door clicking got his attention and he perked up immediately, allowing Shinso to lift him up and carry him out and through the relatively empty halls.

"Class 1-A has requested your presence in their dorm tonight, Midoriya. I've apparently been promoted from an 'extra' from General Studies to your personal chauffeur for the time being" Shinso stated, though his voice held an edge of amusement.

He gave a little wink down at Deku when the kitten made an apologetic whine, chuckling when it only seemed to make the small form more agitated. "It's alright… I don't mind carrying you around. When you become the Number 1 Hero I'll have a great party story to tell… 'I got to carry around the amazing hero Deku when he was just a five-pound kitten'."

" **SHINSO! That's not funny! Once everything calms down no one is ever going to let this go!"**

Hitoshi laughed fully this time, pulling Deku up further on his chest to hug him close. It was simply too easy to fluster the teen, especially in kitten form. He let Midoriya crawl up onto his shoulder as they maneuvered through the key-card locked doors, his other hand still clutching the take out for them.

Almost as soon as they entered the common room, Midoriya was swept away from his ride by Ochaco, who cooed at him like he really was just a normal kitten. It made Shinso grind his teeth in jealousy. He knew he had no right to get upset over the display since Izuku was his own person, but it still burned him all the same.

He placed the food down and started eating his share, fully aware that it would take plenty of time for Midoriya's friends to let him be. Shinso almost rolled his eyes as Deku was passed around, receiving hugs from everyone present. Human or kitten form, Izuku was adored by everyone, it just made it easier to squish him in that body.

* * *

Shinso rolled back the covers of his bed slowly, making as little noise as possible. Deku had fallen asleep after another long night of being coddled and eating way more than his tiny belly could hold. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. Izuku was laying flat on his back, little paws curled into his chest as he snored gently.

Hitoshi also often wondered what he should do about his feelings for Deku once this nightmare/dream was over. He stripped down to his boxers absentmindedly and slipped into bed; he didn't have any clean sweatpants right then and hoped Midoriya wouldn't mind too much when he woke up from his food coma.

Carefully, he picked Deku up and gave his forehead the lightest kiss he could, praying that the kitten teen wouldn't wake up and catch him. He slipped the small form into the space between his arm and torso, smiling again when Midoriya wiggled to get comfortable, never ceasing his adorable snoring.

Shinso felt his heavy lids begging to close. It was a new sensation for him, to fall asleep so soon after climbing into bed. If he had to guess, Izuku was a miracle child that could even cure his insomnia just by being next to him. _"Even if he doesn't remember what I said… I should tell him what he means to me… No! I'm going to tell him…"_

* * *

A loud explosion and screams woke Shinso and Midoriya almost instantly, their adrenaline flowing heavily. Hitoshi looked down and saw the panicked expression in Deku's eyes and knew immediately that whoever was attacking was probably there to finish the job.

He jumped out of bed and grabbed the nearest pair of pants and hoodie he could find, nearly falling on his face in his haste to pull them on. The only thing running through his mind was getting Midoriya somewhere safe, to someone who could actually protect him.

Hitoshi knew his quirk was powerful, but like Aizawa's, it was better suited to one on one battles. His power relied on his ability to get his opponent to speak, and he didn't yet have the combat skills necessary to do much else if he couldn't.

The first people that ran through his head were Bakugo and Todoroki, as much as he hated to admit it. Those two caused him more jealousy than Ochaco ever could, but with the sounds reverberating from outside his room, he couldn't be picky.

"Midoriya! Come on! We've got to go!" he yelled, picking him up. He shoved Izuku into his pouch and slipped out of the room.

There was smoke in the hallway, so he had to get low. In the midst of the chaos he saw some of his fellow General Studies classmates attempting to crawl to the emergency exists as well; most of them also weren't trained for combat due to being sidelined from the Hero Course.

"You've got to stay quiet, okay? They'll be searching for a cat so-" Shinso tried to warn, only to be interrupted by a loud, crazed laugh from somewhere behind him. His usually drooping eyelids flew open, realizing that the villains had already managed to make it to their floor.

A sobering thought occurred to him: they'd probably already gone through the Hero Course dorms. If that was the case, then Bakugo and Todoroki may have already been injured, captured, or were still engaged in combat and wouldn't be able to come looking for him.

Deciding that he didn't have time to play it safe, he staggered to his feet, using his sleeve to help block some of the smoke from filling his lungs. "GO!" he shouted, urging the few in front of him to run as well; they'd die faster from getting in the villain's line of sight than from inhaling the ashy fumes.

Shinso ran after his peers, stumbling down the stairs while holding his pouch to keep Midoriya as secure as he could be. Despite everything that was going on, he could feel the teens small pulse beating rapidly through the clothing; Deku was just as panicked as he was, probably more so since he had no way to defend himself.

By the time they got outside, Shinso thought his lungs would give out as he coughed up smoke, his vision blurred from the soot and heat of the fire. But, the courtyard wasn't much of an improvement; the League of Villains were fully assaulting the area, students and teachers alike fighting back with full power.

Hitoshi felt claws digging into his stomach as he staggered around, trying to catch his breath. "Shh… *cough*" he tired, hoping to console the teen before he started meowing and gave himself away.

He rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to clear them. All of the dorms were on fire at this point, so the next safest bet would be to head deeper into campus. He turned and started running that way, doing his best to avoid ricocheting quirks and random bodies that were also trying to escape from the fierce battle.

"EYEBAGS LOOK OUT!" a voice bellowed through the chaos, immediately letting Shinso know who it came from. He stopped to search until his eyes landed on the blonde, the boy's hands already smoking from overuse as he ran towards them. Almost as soon as he saw Katsuki, however, he realized a villain with a patchwork face was aiming his hand right at him.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! I'VE GOT THIS BASTARD!"

The amount of stress Shinso was under at the moment probably made him a bit more irritable than usual, and he was tempted to shout a healthy line of curse words back at Bakugo that culminated in 'no shit… that's what I'm trying to do'. But he just nodded and kept going, silently thanking the teen for stepping in between him and a villain that had probably noticed how he held a kitten-shaped form under his jacket.

He could feel Deku becoming more agitated against his stomach, understanding that hiding while his friends were endangering themselves to protect him probably wasn't sitting well. Shinso desperately wanted to tell him it would be okay but couldn't risk it; it was already hard enough to conceal him without drawing too much attention to his abdomen.

Hitoshi huffed as he ran farther away from the fight, his lungs still burning from the abuse they'd take earlier. When he reached a secluded area, he stopped to catch his breath, coughing harshly once more. He leaned back against the cool wall, taking a moment to pet Deku through his clothes. It was more comfort for himself than anything else; he felt vulnerable and useless in a battle like this.

The moment was short-lived, however, when a portal opened in front of him and several villains stepped out, one of them being the man with the patchwork face. Shinso's jaw dropped slightly. _"There's no way they… how did? But Bakugo said-"_

"Hehehe… look at his face! He's terrified!" Toga spoke, her manic eyes locking onto Shinso with evil intent.

"Probably is wondering how we found him so quickly…" Dabi responded, raising his hand again. Blue flames started forming on his fingers, daring Shinso to try and make a move.

" _What do I do? Even if I manage to catch one of them, the others will probably figure out how my quirk works! Shit! Midoriya… I'm so sorry!"_

"We know you're the one that picked him up and we know that he's in your jacket now. I'll let you live if you give us that little pest Midoriya without a fight, kid." Tomura offered. One of his pale, cracked fingers pointed to where Shinso's arms had protectively covered his stomach, shielding Deku from whatever attack was coming.

Hitoshi cringed. There was absolutely no way he would give him up; he'd die first. But by the looks on their faces, the villains would be more than happy to pry Deku's kitten form from his dead hands. He swallowed hard, desperately hoping to anyone above for help to arrive.

"What did you do to Bakugo?" he seethed, glaring daggers at Dabi.

The man only smirked, tilting his head to the side with a knowing raised eyebrow. The sight made Shinso's heart drop; they already knew what his quirk was and how to avoid getting caught in it. That was his last hope to drag out their confrontation until someone came to help him and Deku.

By the sounds coming from not too far in the distance, it would be awhile. The entirety of UA was still deeply immersed in fighting their own battles at the moment. Sweat beaded down his temple, his chest heaving slightly. The worst thing he could do would be to lose his cool, but that small task was becoming much larger by the second.

He took in another wheezing breath to calm himself, prepared to make a run for it no matter how little chance he had to get away. Almost as soon as his body tensed, a sharp pain tore into his hand, breaking his concentration long enough for Deku to struggle out of his grip.

Shinso felt the blood in his veins stop as Midoriya tumbled to the ground and started stomping over to the villains. "IZUKU!" He shouted, his panicked voice shaking in fear.

Deku stopped and looked back, green eyes locking with Shinso's purple ones. The world almost stilled in that moment. Midoriya's orbs were calm and resolved, completely opposite from Hitoshi's. Shinso shook his head, silently urging Izuku to come back to him.

But there was no hesitance in his stance. If they could openly communicate, the brainwashing teen knew what Midoriya would be saying: 'It's okay, Hitoshi… don't blame yourself'. Izuku turned back around to the smugly smiling villain team and continued forward until he was in front of their feet.

"Dabi… No witnesses" Tomura cooed, his sneer evident even behind his dismembered hand-mask.

Both Shinso and Deku's eyes widened at that, Dabi's hand moving in almost slow motion as it raised from where it was trained on Midoriya to Hitoshi, the ominous blue flames shooting forward towards the General Studies student.

" **SHINSO, NO!**

" _I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I love you, Midoriya…"_

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 **Umm… This wasn't how I thought it would go but… 3 AM writing tends to take me to weird places… Hope you all enjoy anyway!** **Until next week-ish! Tell me what you thought, please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I will admit that was a mean cliffhanger I left you all. Lol. Sorry!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 6

 _ **~3 Hours Prior To Attack~**_

Class 1-A was still milling around the common room, begging Shinso not to take a very drowsy Midoriya back to the General Studies dorms for a bit longer. It had been such a miracle that the teen had been found alive that they almost didn't care he was potentially permanently stuck in a kitten's body.

Bakugo and Todoroki were the only two that seemed uncomfortable every time they saw Deku, and tonight was no different. Although they never left the common room when Shinso brought him by, they often hung out on the edge of their group, on opposite sides of course.

Midoriya would squeeze between peoples legs and gabbing arms to get to them, rubbing up against their shins lovingly. Todoroki would give him a little handshake, once even going so far as to pet his head, but that was it. Bakugo simply cursed and nudged him away with his foot, eventually giving up and just letting Deku get his affection over with.

Todoroki watched Shinso closely, noticing how his eyes would follow Deku around with one of the softest expressions he'd ever seen. He would have liked for Midoriya to stay with someone from one of the hero courses with a more damaging quirk, preferably himself. But the brainwasher was good too. He knew that if it came down to it, Shinso would protect Izuku just like everyone else, probably even more fiercely judging by the longing look on his face.

Shoto smelled nitroglycerine coming towards him before the blonde actually stepped into his line of sight. His nerves immediately rising in apprehension. Things had been much better since the destructive and character building end of their first year, but Katsuki was still Katsuki, and that meant a nasty temper.

"These fuckers don't understand how serious this is." Bakugo grunted, his red eyes narrowing at his chatting classmates.

Todoroki nodded next to him. He was surprised that the blonde was there and speaking with him about anything other than kicking his 'candy cane ass' but couldn't deny that he was grateful someone else felt the same.

"They'll come back for him eventually. I fucking thought his days of being a damn useless nerd were over. But that little shit won't be able to defend himself now that he's some stupid ass cat. It's up to us if something happens." Bakugo continued, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked almost deep in thought.

"He has other friends to protect him…" Todoroki answered, gesturing to the group surrounding Deku. Though his voice was neutral, his insides twisted painfully. Midoriya was his best friend; the first person who had ever bothered trying to break down his walls. He'd do anything to help him and felt guilty that he hadn't been there when he'd been attacked.

"Tsk… Don't fucking act like you really think they can handle this shit. I'll give gravity bitch and four eyes credit; they aren't completely useless but they're still extras compared to the power of our quirks."

Shoto didn't fully contain his sigh this time, turning to look at Bakugo dead in the eye. "If you're telling me to protect him then there isn't a need. Midoriya is and always will be my best friend; if anything goes wrong then you know I'll step in. So, why are you bringing this up?"

Bakugo growled but tilted his head, leading them out of the still crowded common room to speak more privately. When they reached a deserted hallway, he leaned against the wall, arms still crossed defensively. Their positions somewhat resembled how Todoroki had cornered Midoriya at the sports festival. A confession was about to occur.

"I'm bringing it up because I'll need your help fucking icyhot. Whoever these assholes are this time, they got the jump on Deku, and he's leading our fucking class right now. If he could get taken down… I… you fucking know what I'm getting at."

If Todoroki had been anyone else, he knew his jaw would have dropped. Katsuki was the second proudest person he'd ever met, only beaten out by his bastard father. For him to admit something like this, it brought a whole new level of urgency to Midoriya's situation.

"Fucking eyebags is taking care of him right now, and I'm sure even an emotional dunce like you knows how they feel towards each other. Damn brainwashing ass will protect him, but you and I both know the limitations of his quirk, and what will happen if he gets caught."

Shoto felt his throat tighten, lowering his head slightly. "Izuku will give himself up before he lets something happen to Shinso…"

"Damn straight!" Bakugo hissed, smoke raising a little from his hands. "And the only fucking thing he can do right now is purr and swish that stupid fluffy fucking tail. He'll get himself killed."

"UA is a fortress and has been updated with even more safety measures after our first year. Even if villains somehow manage to breach the school, Midoriya is in a different dorm. What are you wanting us to do?" Todoroki answered.

"If something does go down, you and I will head to the General Studies area to find eyebags and Deku. If anyone gets in our way or attacks him then I'll be the line of defense, got it? You head straight to that little shit and stick with him until everything cools off." Bakugo stated. He kept his head down, and still stood defensively, but there was a distinct resolve in his frame.

That made Shoto blink again, this time in confusion. "I know you like blowing villains away and it's no secret that there are still some issues for the two of you to work through, but even 'an emotional dunce like me' can see that you care about Izuku. I can't see you trusting anyone but yourself to protect him."

Katsuki's hands started popping again, sparking against his own arms like it was meant to keep him grounded from losing his temper. "Don't you fucking get it? I thought you were smarter than that with your fucking recommendations. I messed shit up with Deku a long time ago and you're his best fucking friend now aside from that purple haired freak. If one of us gets killed trying to protect him then he'd lose his stupid crybaby mind if it was you. Deku and I have a history whether you understand it or not, and I've got a lot of shit to make up for so deal with it."

Todoroki examined Bakugo thoroughly. In this rare moment of vulnerability, he could see the repressed shame and splintered pride behind his downcast red eyes. His desire to redeem himself was almost palpable. Shoto could understand that drive, but he still didn't fully agree.

"You're wrong, Bakugo." He stated. "I've only been his best friend for a short time compared to how long he has cared for you. You're always forgiven, no matter what you've said or done but I'm not ready to chance that. I'll be the first line and you protect his person."

Before Katsuki could argue, Todoroki kept speaking.

"My quirk can slow enemies down far better than yours. Sending a bunch of explosions will draw attention, but my ice can freeze whoever comes near and give you time to get them away. Besides, I have no intention of dying so, do we have a deal?"

Bakugo practically hissed in distaste but held out a nitroglycerine soaked hand to shake Todoroki's. They didn't like each other, but they both cared for Deku immensely in their own ways. They could put up with each other for all eternity if it meant protecting Midoriya.

"You fucking tell anyone about what I said and I'll blow your candy cane ass to the moon."

Todoroki nodded, feeling a sense of strange comradery with Bakugo for perhaps the first time.

* * *

Bakugo and Todoroki were each in their respective rooms after having their heart to heart and retiring for the night when the first alarms started sounding. It was just seconds later that the screaming and panicked movement from the floors below them began.

They both ran out into the hallway, prepared to head to Shinso now that the moment had come so soon after their discussion. Of course, they soon found that simple act to be incredibly dangerous and difficult.

"The lower levels are on fucking fire. We can't go down the stairs and I bet the rest of our damn useless classmates are stuck." Bakugo shouted.

Shoto nodded and broke the windows once they were in the common room, sending a slide of ice out and to the ground. "I can give them a way out. Send explosions on the way down to break the rest of the windows." He answered.

They slid out with the rest of the boys on their floor and then assisted the 1-A and 1-B students to the courtyard, their patience wearing thin. But they weren't given any time to breathe, the campus was already crawling with enemies. As the group trained to fight, their primary job was to protect and evacuate noncombative students. Both Todoroki and Bakugo were drawn into the fight before they could make it to the other dorm.

It wasn't long before they could see smoke starting to rise from the rest of the buildings, and knew they were in a bad spot. It was only a matter of time before Shinso was forced into the open with Midoriya.

"They just keep fucking coming! I bet that bastard villain called Twice has something to do with this!" Bakugo growled, sending another explosion barreling towards a few he knew he'd already taken down.

"If the League is behind this then they have that Warp Gate. One of us has to get to them. Now." Todoroki hissed back. "Go! I'll cover you!"

Katsuki nodded and took off running, heading straight for the General Studies dorm. His heart leaped into his chest when he saw Shinso stumbling out of the burning building. He was choking on smoke, eyes unfocused.

Bakugo could see the small bundle in his burned jacket. _"Tsk… fucking extra is tougher than I thought!"_

Shinso didn't seem to notice how several parts of his hastily thrown on attire had been burnt off, red skin with yellow bubbles peaking out from the singed clothing when he started running. Bakugo was about to join the two when he saw a portal open behind them, Dabi stepping out with his hand raised ominously.

"EYEBAGS LOOK OUT!" he shouted, moving as quickly as he could to get between them. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! I'VE GOT THIS BASTARD!"

Dabi just smiled at him though, a lazy evil expression crossing his patchwork face. "Good to see you again Bakugo. How's All Might doing? And Midoriya as well? Some hero you are for letting such misfortune befall your idle and childhood friend."

Katsuki bellowed in anger, starting his assault on the sadistic villain. Portals opened around him, copies of various villains surrounding him so that he couldn't get away. He was aware of the chaos that seemed to be everywhere, the shouts of classmates and teachers, of villains being taken down, but he stayed focused. He needed to get to Midoriya.

All at once though, his attention wavered. Amidst the muddled sounds that were almost as loud as his own explosions, he saw Todoroki shouting and attempting to help a group of support course students away from a particularly nasty new villain on the scene, only to be overwhelmed without any backup. He ended up thrown through the air like a doll, slamming into an already unstable wall.

Despite how Ochaco and Iida attempted to get to the unmoving teen in time, the building started to crumble, rocks falling everywhere around and potentially on Todoroki. He saw several of his classmates running towards the rubble, trying to move it without much luck other than Ochaco.

She had more rocks in the air than he'd ever seen her able to before, her chest heaving as she kept slapping the large, fire-heated stones.

Bakugo saw red, but there was nothing he could do to help. His quirk wasn't suited to rescuing people like that, and he was in deep shit himself. Every time he turned he came close to almost getting hit with a various quirk, his own explosions making the already intense flames worse. But he couldn't rely on one of them to come over to assist him; Todoroki was probably being crushed to death if he hadn't been already.

His arms ached from overuse, his quirk quickly losing its bite as he became dehydrated and produced less and less sweat. A deranged giggle met his ringing ears, alerting him to the blade that was flying straight towards his chest. He knew he wouldn't be able to move quickly enough to dodge it, and even if he managed to block with his arms it would only leave him more defenseless in the long run. His eyes closed in angered resignation.

"KATSUKI!" Kirishima shouted, throwing his body directly in front of the knife to shield him from it, his hardening quirk no longer activated as he too had already reached his limit.

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 **Okay so I didn't end up answering the last cliff hanger, and I left you with another… Sorry! Please don't hate me too much lol.**

 **The next scene would be too long to include in this chapter, so I hope that this short one will suffice for now… Thank you for reading and please leave your thoughts with reviews/follows/favorites!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you all so much for your support on this story! I think this is the second to last chapter… Probably…**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 7

"Dabi… No witnesses" Tomura cooed, his sneer evident even behind his dismembered hand-mask.

Both Shinso and Deku's eyes widened at that, Dabi's hand moving in almost slow motion as it raised from where it was trained on Midoriya to Hitoshi, the ominous blue flames shooting forward towards the General Studies student.

" **SHINSO, NO!**

" _I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I love you, Midoriya…"_

Izuku's world screeched to a devastating halt as he watched blue fire washing through the air like a tidal wave from hell itself. His eyes flickered to Hitoshi, finding that the teen was looking right at him with a calm sadness.

Anger, fear, worry, sorrow, love- so many emotions swelled within his tiny chest that he couldn't keep up with them. The only thing that he could understand was his brain telling him 'MOVE'. In an instant, One For All crackled to life, it's green electric aura surrounding Izuku and shattering the quirk he'd been forced to endure.

He lunged towards Shinso, grabbing him tightly before leaping off, the shockwave of his speed knocking over the overly confident villains and sending them toppling backward.

Midoriya set Hitoshi down once they landed, almost panicking when the boy didn't react. He still had his arms braced halfway up to his face, as if they'd moved so fast he hadn't been able to finish the action. "Shinso!" he whispered, his voice hoarse and strained.

"M-Midoriya?" he stuttered, his eyes zeroing in on the frantic teen. He glanced around and saw that they were in a secluded spot, far enough away from the battle that he could barely hear his fellow students shouting. "Y-you… W-what? He choked out, shocked.

Midoriya nodded and practically tackled him to the ground, wrapping his arms and legs around Shinso as they hugged for the first time as two humans. He could feel the boy's hands tangling around his waist and in his hair, pulling him down and into his chest.

Izuku wanted nothing more than to stay in that embrace forever. He was about to keep riding his adrenaline high and kiss the brainwasher when it occurred to him that while he wasn't a cat anymore, he was completely naked…. And straddling his crush.

His face bled red and jumped off, stumbling away and trying his best to cover his exposed lower body. He started trying to explain and apologize at the same time without knowing exactly which he should do first. "I- Uh... I mean … You and- villains… my quirk- Sorry?"

Hitoshi then flushed as well, his initial shock subsiding enough for him to realize what had just happened through his dizzied mind. He quickly averted his eyes and pushed himself to unsteady feet, moving to take off his sweatpants.

Midoriya practically yelped "SHINSO" this time, curling into a little sitting ball so that he could cover his manhood and his face at the same time. He vaguely registered Hitoshi clearing his throat awkwardly before the pants were dropped onto his head.

"Uhm… just… put these on… I've got boxers…"

Izuku dared to look up again, still beet red and dying of embarrassment. Shinso had turned away from him, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to hide how completely disheveled he'd become as well. He quickly threw on the singed pants, silently thanking whoever was looking out for him that he hadn't become noticeably aroused yet.

"Shinso… I…" he started, his voice stopping instantly when the sound of a crumbling building and panicked shouts reached his still animal-level sensitive ears. "Todoroki!" he gasped, calling on his quirk once more.

The brainwasher barely registered the 'T' sound before Izuku was gone and he was left alone in the safe area. He wasn't particularly happy that Midoriya was pushing himself this hard right after breaking the shape-shifting quirk, or that he'd been left in a random part of campus, but he knew nothing on Earth could stop the hero Deku now.

In what could barely have been an instant from when he'd jumped off, Izuku was behind Todoroki, his strong, scarred arms wrapping under the unconscious boy's armpits and yanking back, successfully pulling him away from the ruble as it toppled down to where he'd been slumped over.

Midoriya could smell blood all over Shoto's head but didn't have time to do much to help him. He could hear his classmates screaming to move the rocks as he slung the boys less injured arm over his shoulders, twisting his head frantically to see where he could take him. The building they were in was still on fire and falling apart around them.

"Think, think, think, think, think" he muttered quietly, "Shinso!" he decided, moving like a speeding bullet once more. He'd only just touched the ground when another, more desperate 'KATSUKI' caught his ears, forcing him to practically drop Todoroki behind Hitoshi, who hadn't even managed to fully turn around before he was gone again.

Midoriya could feel his lungs burning from the sudden exertion and smoke inhalation, his bones starting to scream as muscles stretched dangerously. His legs were already fractured, but nothing was tearing or breaking enough to slow his movement. Even if it was, he wouldn't—couldn't have stopped. He could see a glinting blade headed straight for Bakugo, Kirishima's unhardened body moving to take the hit instead.

Deku forced more power into his legs, his speed topping what even All Might had been capable of in his prime, though it came with a price. He reached out, his arm stretching as far as it could physically go, fingers dancing to catch the knife.

" _I got it!"_ He cheered to himself, ignoring how his palm had been sliced open from grabbing the sharp end just as it had pricked Kirishima's back. He soon lost momentum and hit the ground, rolling with low, pain-filled grunts.

Midoriya huffed, forcing himself to a sitting position now that the bones in his legs had shattered from top to bottom, his green eyes hardened in anger and determination as he soaked in the chaos that the villains had unleashed on his friends.

"SMAAAASH!" he shouted, slinging one of his arms towards the nearest dorm, a powerful gust of wind exploding forward with so much force it suffocated the flames instead of fanning them.

The rest of the campus stilled, some having been knocked to the ground from the residual shockwaves. Both villains, pros, and students alike stared wide-eyed at Izuku, mouths hanging open. He was panting, covered in dirt and ash, and looked terrible with his legs crumpled unnaturally in front of him, but his fearless smile was even more captivating, filling his comrades with newfound resolve.

Midoriya cocked his arm back again, aiming it for a cluster of villains with clear intent. He shot another blast of compact air in their direction, growling through his teeth when that damn warp gate surrounded the original copies, whisking them away and to safety.

"Shinso! Todoroki!" Izuku shouted, fully prepared to try and jump off using just his arms now that this area was more under control. The last thing he needed was for those two to be attacked and him not be there to help.

"We've got them!" Momo shouted just as he braced himself.

She, Kaminari, Jiro, and Shinso emerged from the woods, carrying Todoroki on a stretcher Momo had made. Midoriya sighed heavily, feeling the weight of his injuries and forced shifting to human form finally catching up to him.

Without the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins anymore, he fell back, landing solidly as the world blackened out around him.

* * *

Midoriya woke up to a barrage of raised voices, some shouting out of anger and others reprimanding the first people. He kept his green eyes closed, wanting to figure out what was going on before he gave his consciousness away.

It took him awhile before he could understand what was being said, but once it worked its way through his still foggy mind, he almost gave into his urge to smile.

"Shut your fucking mouth shitty-hair! You shouldn't have done something so fucking stupid!" Bakugo growled.

"Me? You're the one being so unmanly right now! I saw how you just gave up when that girl threw the knife at you! How could you do that to me!" Kirishima shot back, his voice cracking towards the end.

"AHH? To you? What the fuck are you talking about you shark-toothed bastard? I'd rather die than have lost my quirk in one arm. You're the one that fucking jumped in front of me, pulling some self-sacrifice shit that only Deku would do!" Katsuki hissed, though the tint in his cheeks spoke volumes.

"Please! Everyone settle down! Can't you see Todoroki and Midoriya are still resting!" Momo scolded, quickly being backed up by a very disturbed Iida.

"That's right! It is our duty to ensure our classmate's rest peacefully which cannot happen with you two having a lover's quarrel!" Tenya added.

"Fuck you both too!" Bakugo grunted. "Shitty hair and I aren't together!"

"That's right! We WERE together but Katsu didn't want to put in the effort! He's too unmanly to even take me out on a damn proper date!" Kirishima whined, quickly clamping his hand over his mouth right afterward. "I umm…"

"Urgh! Damn it Kirishima! Stop spouting that shit to everyone! I can't stand the idea of these fucking extra's knowing about OUR business! Fucking dramatic-"

"Bakugo! Please!" Uraraka pleaded, moving to pat Kirishima's back while holding Momo's hand. The girl looked almost as bad as her boyfriend, petting his two-colored hair softly.

"I know these people are your friends, but I don't think I could handle this level of intensity all the time…" Shinso whispered near Midoriya's ear, not realizing that the teen was awake.

That was the last straw, Izuku quickly devolving into a fit of giggles that he didn't even try to hide or suppress. The room fell silent, leaving only Midoriya's laughter bouncing off the walls. "I… I'm sorry!" he gasped, "it's not funny, but… Shinso… that's so true!"

Before the brainwasher could even attempt a response, Kirishima and Momo were crushing Midoriya in their arms, blubbering 'thank you' over and over again for stepping in to save the people they loved. Izuku just let it happen and didn't let them know that his body was absolutely screaming to be released.

Despite what Bakugo chose to believe, everyone already knew what had been going on with him and Kirishima. The whole class had been aware when they got together, broke up, got back together, separated once more and then entered into some unlabeled limbo area.

Although it was less gossiped about, Todoroki and Momo had also started to see each other outside of class, moving much more slowly through their romance than Red Riot and Ground Zero. Jiro had helped Momo to be more patient with Shoto's seeming inability to express his feelings, while Midoriya had worked with Todoroki to let Momo in since he so obviously wanted to.

"Let go of him, shitty-hair!" Bakugo growled, breaking through the gratitude-filled air. "Fucking Deku can't breathe and I don't like it when you hang off of him. You too ponytail! Back off."

"You're so jealous, Katsu! It's unmanly!" Kirishima snapped, but he backed away and trailed over to his lover/best friend anyway, taking one of his Nitro covered hands in his to kiss it. He smiled when Bakugo grumbled but otherwise let it happen.

"Deku!" Uraraka chimed, she and Tenya quickly taking their places to smother Midoriya with love. "We are so glad you're okay!"

"That's right Midoriya. We were all very concerned when the villains attacked, but it would seem that you saved the day at the last minute, staying true to your style." Iida declared, chopping his arm stiffly.

Izuku grinned widely at them before turning his attention to Shinso, noticing how the boy had snuck himself back into his own hospital bed and was quietly playing with the bandages on his wrists. It made Midoriya's smile fall some, knowing that those white strips were covering recently healed blisters from protecting him against villains.

He wondered just how many burns Hitoshi had gotten from shielding him against the flames as he carried him out of the dorm. One was far too many.

Uraraka followed Izuku's eyes to Shinso, and immediately recognized the longing look on both of their faces. She cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention back to her.

"You know, we really should get started on the party we were planning earlier. Iida, I'm going to need you to keep us informed of dorm rules. Momo, could you come and help us make some of the decorations? Kirishima, I need you to make sure everyone is invited. And umm… Bakugo… You're still injured but you could cook… I mean if you aren't still feeling too weak from overusing your quirk."

Bakugo cursed loudly, throwing off his covers and stomping out of the room, dragging Kirishima behind him as Iida tried to object.

"But Uraraka! Our friend has just woken-" he started, only to have a sharp elbow jab into his ribs. Tenya saw the girl's eyes widen and flicker to where Shinso was still awkwardly avoiding eye contact with Midoriya. "Right. If I leave it up to you and Kirishima there could be problems."

Momo looked distraught, but she saw the look Ochaco had shot Iida and understood. "I suppose I could come help for a little while. Shoto has already woken up once and is just resting now before being discharged so…" she trailed off, moving to stand after giving his forehead one more quick kiss.

"We will come to check on you both later, Midoriya, Shinso" Tenya concluded, following Ochaco out as she waved.

Shinso rubbed the back of his neck once the door shut, letting out a low chuckle. "I guess they really wanted to give us some alone time…"

Midoriya flushed and nodded. A few minutes passed before he worked up the courage to do more. Slowly, he pushed himself up, swinging his bandaged legs over the side of the bed despite how they stung with pain.

"What are you doing?" Shinso asked, worriedly. He quickly got out of his covers and crossed the small isle that separated his and Midoriya's bunks, putting his hands on his strong shoulders to ease him back down. "Your legs are still healing! Recovery girl couldn't fix all the damage in one go this time since you used up so much stamina."

Izuku grinned, moving to rub his head and apologize when he froze, his fingers brushing over something that shouldn't still be there. His big green eyes flew up to Shinso's begging to be told it wasn't true.

"Uh… yeah… about that…" Shinso muttered, biting his bottom lip to suppress a laugh. He pulled up the chair he'd been sitting in earlier and dropped into it, doing his best to stay serious despite the embarrassment and 'why me' look on his crushes adorably red face. "Well…"

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 **Thank you for reading** **Please, tell me what you think! I kind of dig the idea of Izuku being a boss (because duh... next Symbol of Peace people!)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Gah… Okay, guys. This chapter has been a nightmare to plan out. Like I legit have the worst case of writer's block, but I'm going to do my best!**

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Oh, To Be A Cat

Chapter 8

Izuku grinned, moving to rub his head and apologize when he froze, his fingers brushing over something that shouldn't still be there. His big green eyes flew up to Shinso's begging to be told it wasn't true.

"Uh… yeah… about that…" Shinso muttered, biting his bottom lip to suppress a laugh. He pulled up the chair he'd been sitting in earlier and dropped into it, doing his best to stay serious despite the embarrassment and 'why me' look on his crushes adorably red face. "Well…"

"Why do I still have kitten ears!" Midoriya screeched, once again swinging his legs off the bed so that he could face Shinso, both hands tugging the projections that sat in his messy hair.

Shinso reached out and grabbed the boy's wrists, pulling gently until his fingers untangled from his hair. His heart was pounding with nerves; they still had so much to talk about on top of this new realization, but he figured it could wait until Izuku was calm again.

He swallowed hard, keeping his hold on the teens' hands even after they were resting in his lap. His tired, purple eyes flickered back to Midoriya's green ones, taking in the uncertainty and embarrassment he was experiencing.

"Recovery Girl said that you forced your quirk to break through the villains in a similar way to how you got out of mine during our first Sports Festival. But, it wasn't a complete success, hence the kitten ears…" Shinso explained gently, giving the boys fingers an encouraging squeeze.

Midoriya took in a deep breath through his nose, closing his eyes to calm himself. He knew it wasn't actually that bad, especially since it came about from him saving the people he cared about. When he reopened them, Shinso was still staring at him lovingly, though obviously ignoring the small projections as best he could.

"Are they really noticeable?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation going before he got too flustered to speak.

Hitoshi smiled and shook his head, "No… they're the same color as your hair which is always kind of... heh… unruly."

Midoriya's hands flew back up to his hair, covering it slightly with a squeak. "It's not THAT bad!" he cried, his face flushed red once again. But Shinso's chuckle made his chest flutter happily, forcing him to smile despite his embarrassment.

They stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes then, both entranced by being so near each other after everything that had gone down. Slowly, Izuku brought his arms down to where Shinso's were, ghosting over the bandages on his wrists.

"Shinso… I… I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me. I mean, you're such a great guy that you saved me when you thought I was just a lost kitten. Everyone else would have looked at me with pity and kept walking, but not you… You… you said something to me the night you brought me back to your room that I wanted to talk to you about-" he started to whisper, fully intending on confessing how he felt right then and there.

"Ugh… my head…" Todoroki groaned as he stirred from his sleep, breaking the spell between Hitoshi and Izuku.

Shinso dropped his eyes down and quickly removed his hands from where they rested on Midoriya's lap. He moved to stand, patting Izuku on his shoulder awkwardly. "Just… Forget I said anything… It doesn't matter, alright? We're all just glad that you're back…"

Izuku almost reached out to stop Hitoshi from going back to his own bed but held back at the last moment. He didn't think that Shinso was taking back what he'd confessed but knew that it wasn't a conversation they should have in front of Todoroki, no matter how out of it he seemed.

* * *

 _ **~Time-Skip: 2 Days~**_

Midoriya stepped back into his room after the first hot shower he'd had in what seemed like forever. It had felt wonderful, but it had also been a real pain in the ass to wash his hair with the newest additions to his head.

If he wasn't careful, the water from the shower head would hit at just the right angle and tickle them. He'd spent the better part of his bath shaking his head like a wet dog and hissing in irritation. But they were slowly growing on him anyway.

As it turned out, along with the actual ears themselves, Midoriya had kept a few other aspects of his kitten form, mainly in the sense department. As long as he stayed calm, he was able to hear extremely quiet sounds, smell things regular humans couldn't, and his night vision had drastically improved.

But still, the shower situation and everyone cooing over his 'kitten cuteness' was often a little much, especially when he didn't receive any such adoration from Shinso. In fact, since Todoroki had interrupted their almost confession, Hitoshi had been distant, even moreso than usual.

Izuku could smell the nervousness on him from across the courtyard; a mixture of adrenaline and increased sweat production tipping him off without even needing to notice the blush that covered his pale skin or how he rubbed the back of his head more frequently.

'Knock, Knock'

"Come in!" Izuku called, hurriedly throwing on the rest of his clothes.

Kirishima waltzed in with a huge grin on his face and several poorly covered up marks on his neck. Bakugo stood not far behind him in the hallway scowling but equally as red. "Hey bro! It's almost party time, you're the person of honor so Katsu and I have been ordered to bring you down to the common room!"

Izuku scoffed to himself. The party had started about fifteen minutes earlier so he had no doubt that the two had made a pit stop of some kind; probably a pleasant one if he had to guess from their messy hair.

"I… Um… I'll come down in a few minutes, okay?" he stated, rubbing his hair with a towel gently to make it seem like he wasn't finished getting ready.

Bakugo started to move forward, growling in irritation about being an errand boy. Kirishima was quick to step in, nuzzling his blonde gently and cooing in his ear about them having more time to finish 'something' before coming back to get him.

Midoriya bit back a giggle, loving how flustered Bakugo got. He knew there would be hell to pay if he openly laughed, but there was something so great about seeing UA's proudest prospective hero turning to putty in the redheads' hands.

He turned and climbed out his window quietly as soon as Kirishima had led Bakugo away, activating his quirk so that he could make the jump to Shinso's dorm in one leap. From what he'd heard from Uraraka, the teen had refused her invitation to the party.

Within a few seconds, Midoriya landed deftly on Shinso's balcony. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself enough to knock without it being too panicked.

Izuku knew that Hitoshi was inside and awake from the sounds his sensitive kitten ears were picking up, so there was nothing stopping him other than his own nervousness. Biting the inside of his lip, he reached out and tapped the glass a few times.

After several agonizing seconds, the door slid open and Shinso appeared. He didn't look particularly startled to see Midoriya there, after all, he was the only person that went out of his way to talk to him normally and he was a few stories off the ground.

Izuku thought he looked more apprehensive than anything else, slowly moving aside to let him in. "Aren't you supposed to be at your party right now?"

Midoriya nodded, rocking back and forth on his feet and rubbing his hands together nervously. "You were invited… But you decided not to come so, why can't I skip too?"

"Remember, it's YOUR party? All your friends worked hard to make sure that you know how much they cared for you and are happy that you're alive and well." Shinso responded, moving to sit down on his bed.

"Aren't you my friend too, Shinso?" Midoriya asked, stepping forward so that he could stand in front of the teen. "You're the one that saved me; the party is for you as much as it is for me!"

Hitoshi didn't answer at first, his jaw tensing slightly as he stared at the floor. Eventually, he sighed and rubbed his tired eyes in what was almost irritation. "Every one of your friends has a powerful quirk and is in the Hero Course. The only two that aren't are me and Hatsume, and she's just as loud as the rest of your group. I know you consider me a friend, Midoriya, but I simply don't fit in with the rest of you."

The nervousness that Izuku felt melted away with indignation. He reached out and firmly grabbed Shinso's shoulders, yanking him to his feet. "That's not true! I don't care if you're not loud like the other Hero Course students because I can talk enough for the both of us! And I don't care if you're in General Studies because I know you've got one of the coolest quirks I've ever seen and everyone else knows it too! And you do fit in! Everyone told me how you came and cheered them up at lunch when you all thought I was dead and they want you to come by more often and even if they didn't I wouldn't care because I love you Hitoshi!"

Shinso stiffened in Midoriya's embrace, seemingly freezing from the long stream of words. He pulled back and stared into those dark green eyes with confusion and the barest amount of hope. "Wait... What did you just say?"

Izuku huffed in irritation, "I just told you that you're wrong about fitting in with us and that I wouldn't care if you didn't because I lo-"

Midoriya cut himself off and slapped his hands over his mouth, face going as red as Kirishima's hair. He mumbled something incomprehensible behind his fingers, stepping away and swaying like he might pass out.

He knew that Shinso felt the same way, but actually expressing the feelings he'd kept secret for so long was mortifying anyway.

Hitoshi stepped farther away from Izuku, jaw slack before letting a hollow laugh sneak out. He shook his head, looking down at Midoriya with sad eyes. "You're just saying that…"

Midoriya, though still feeling flustered and unsure of himself, took a chance. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Shinso's neck, leaning up to kiss him, holding the position for a few seconds before pulling back slightly.

"I'm not…" He whispered, his warm, shaking breath ghosting over the larger teens lips. "I love you Hitoshi Shinso… and you said you loved me too… unless you changed your mind?"

Shinso hesitantly ran his fingers over Midoriya's firm waist, slipping around his back and pulling slightly. He let his head drop down, tentatively pecking Izuku just like he'd done to him moments before. It sent shivers and heat down his spine like nothing ever had before.

He shivered and did it again, this time pressing harder and staying longer, melting when Izuku returned his affections. They pulled back once more for air, looking deeply into each other's eyes. With his height advantage, he could see the smaller teens little ears clearly twitching adorably.

"You said they weren't noticeable!" Midoriya squeaked when he noticed, hiding his face in Shinso's chest.

The brainwasher chuckled and hugged him tightly, planting small kisses all over his fluffy head and ears. "I think they fit you perfectly. Remember how I said I'm going to tell everyone about taking care of the Number 1 Hero when he was a baby kitten? Well, with those adorable ears I will always have proof!"

Izuku gasped, turning his big eyes up to give him his best puppy look. "You wouldn't dare!"

Shinso kissed him deeply once more, smiling the whole time. "Of course not; I'd never do anything to make the hero I love upset… Because I do Izuku… I do love you…"

Midoriya giggled in happiness, jumping up and wrapping his legs around Shinso's torso as he squealed and hugged him tightly.

All at once, his phone began ringing, buzzing in his hoodie pouch loudly. Without climbing down from Shinso's torso, he grumbled and answered without looking so that he could keep pecking the boy's lips softly.

"Where the fucking hell are you Deku!" Bakugo shouted from the other line, making both teens wince from the offending voice.

"S-sorry, Kacchan!" Midoriya whined, earning an eye roll from Hitoshi, "We'll be there in just a few minutes, I promise!"

Izuku hung up right afterward, not wanting to hear the long stream of cuss words that started to pour from the speaker. He returned his arms to around Shinso's neck but unlooked his legs so that he could stand again. "You are going to come, right? I mean I don't want to go without my boyfriend… Oh, wait! Sorry! Are we dating? We don't have to if you don't want to but I kind of thought that maybe since we both-"

Hitoshi smiled softly, kissing the teen to stop his mumbling fit. "I'd be honored to be your boyfriend, Izuku… For as long as you'll keep my tired ass around, I'm yours."

Izuku hugged him tightly again before turning and practically dragging Hitoshi behind him. "Don't worry! I'll keep my 'intense' friends at bay for a little while and then we'll take a nap together, just like when I was a kitten!"

Shinso grinned from ear to ear, thanking whoever was making the big plans for letting Midoriya get hit with such a quirk. Judging from the look on his love's face, he knew he felt the same.

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 **THE END**

 **Maybe at some point I will create a short epilogue to add to this story, so, follow it just in case! Please favorite and review too because it will make me very happy!**


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